Nut-cracking machine.



H. D. CRAWFORD. Nu"1 cRAcKlNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED `MAY 4, 1916. 1,230,679. patented June 19, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fina H. D. CRAWFORD.

. NUT (TRACKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4. 1916. 1,230,679. Patented June 19, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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H. D. CRAWFORD. NUT CRACKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4 |916,

1 ,230,679. .Patentd June 19, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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H. n. CRAWFORD.

NUT CRAC-KING MACHINE. `APPLICATIDN FILEDMAY 4,1916.

1,230,679. l PatenaJune 19, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5- i Toall whom i may concern.'A

` 'ne it known um L Hman). cniwmn,

e citizen of 'the'UmtedStates `of America,

resident of'thejcity of St`.Louis, vState of ""5,Missouri; have`invented certain new` kand usefui. Improvements in N'nt- Cracking Ma- 1ychines, ofwliich the following is a full, f clear, and exactdescription, reference being hadnt() Lthe cempanyig drawings; frming aiirt of this specification.

`y invention relates'to improvements 1n jimt"c1facking` machines, oneothe'fobjects bein to produce f a. Simple and( absolutel i relia'lecompensating. device associated'wit 15 the crackingelements of a nutcracking chinev to compensate for variations `in the i lengths of thenuts tov be cracked; With "this Object in view the preferred form of theinvention includes a. pluralit of selective 20 compensating]elementsInova le kinde'pend- 'fetly 0f. each! th s0 that #my 911e. "f'them maybe selectedy and automatically located in an 'operative position.` IMore, specifically fsfaed; these. compensating elements. prefer- 2 5-ablyy consstof a pluralityk of wedges; dif- `successively from anormaler' starting posiposition.) `VVhenthe selected wedge has' beenkstopped in its o erative positionthe `nutte bei Acraclired 'iseld'between `the `cracking members 'anda predetermined1f"d egreey ofl'movement isthe "j imparted to Qneefjnie efficient means for feedinythe nuts onefat a time from a receptacle to t e cracking device. withwie foregoing and. ehefobjecexin view the irwenticnAcompriseslthe'ncvelfcom struction", combination and arrangement bf mentof the invention; hewever,`f it is" to' be understood that' the'inventiony comprehends Figure `-I` is a 'sideelevatiom 'partly insecicibefillustming nutre-Ring#machine constructed in accordance withthell'nvention.

`NW1-41nd.cintemAciIimn.

speicaudiiof Leners raient; PatentedfJune penseting` elements intheirnormal v`- oifs'tarting positions, 4alsovshowing a portion of the'fermgfrom eachother, andedapted to move Anotheroblect 1s topro'duce asimple and l partshereinafter more specifically described c i landillustrated in the f accompanying drawc ings Whereinis-1 shown the`preferred embodi- FII. Y VThe ycracking 'plunger 8f vis coperable Fig.VI I iscaf1 detaiiyiew Showing the i compensating elements and the meansfor rev storing said' ";ele'ments to` their normal "or f Startinpositions. -1

cracking'. member Whichliesjadjacentto the i i compensating elements.`"Fig X isa detail view ofthecam-com 75 trolled device for actuatingfonejof the crack- Fig. XI isa detail'viewofthe clmfwherei by a'predetermined `degreel offinovementis i imparted j to f one ofthecracking members 80 after saidf members* have, been "adjusted" to theiroperative positions. desi ya'tes the bedfof:the machineupon5the'rearportion1`-of which is mounted "7a v'f`rs`m1fe`provided*vivithbearings 1, Zand Sffori85 maindriveshaft 4. v'Fhis driingi,shaftjise diivenl @onsfanny` by any suitable" @wer y 4mechanism. Gdesignatesfal cam wheel?" `Fi "s1 LIIr` vand SX1) providedkaboner of itslsi es 90 with a camfgrpove." f y 8v designates 'acracking plunger extending v i longitudlnally ofv the machine:andslidably f' i mounted at its `forward endiii a bearing arm -1 9': Atthe rear end of thecracki pluny er 95 11 (Figsl, II'and I)"`which1iesinthe cam groove? to provide for a forward and" i f backward'movementjofthe headblockdj l andcrackingplunger 8`'duringe'acii"frewlii-` 100 tiongof thefcamjkwheel `6. The"crackigf iplunger `and head-block are lguided andpre'- fI rented from rotatingfbymeans offfaiguidey y rod '12' carried "bythe hefid'fblock and slid?-ablyfictedte a. bea'jngla, asshmnin Fig. [105 With'an eliningcom`anionplungerjwliichis .i 'adivstd'etmtca1y@nfbnrafiveiisitionf'so asto" -corripensate'fforI 'Variations the lengths of the nuts, asfwillbehereinafter 1l described.l j .i `1 4' .iiles'gnate's a pocketwheel'floeat y bearing 18.

plunger 8 andY provided with a series o peripheral pockets adapted toreceive the nuts. The pocket Wheel is rotatably cup#V 5 ported by ashaft 15 mounted in the bearing 9 and rovided at its rear end with abevel gear W eel 16 (Figs. I and II) which meshes with a bevel gearWheel 17 carried by a shaft 18, the latter being rotatablymonnted in a19 designates a notched wh l xed to the shaft 18 and located imma iatelyin front of the constantly rotati mein shaft 4. The main Shaft isprovide with a tappetl Wheei 20 having a roller' 21 adapted toventer thenotches inthe 'notched Wheel 19 for the purpose of imparti a step bystep movement tosaid notched W eel in response to the continuous rotarymovements of the main shaft y4. Movement is 20 transmitted from the`notched wheel 19 through shaft 18, bevel gears 17 and 16, and shaftltothe pocket Wheel 14, the latter being advanced step by step in such aInanner that upon each complete revolution of the main' kshaft saidpocket wheel 14 will advance one step, thus removing the cracked nut andlocating another nut 1n alinement withthe cracking plungers. To insurean accurate step by step movement, the shaft 15 is providedwth anotchedr detent wheel 22 p that is engaged by spring pressed detent 23.B designates a crackmg plunger alin d with the crackin plungerSkandslidably tted to bearings 4 and25. Aftera nut has been Vpositionedbetween the Crackingpluners 8 and B the plunger 8` is advanced-a xeddistance to the position shown in Figs. I, II and VI. The crackingyplunger B then advances toward the plunger 8 until the nut is firmlyheld between the adjacent endspf the plunger-s, `and thereafter vthecracking plunger 8 advances laVr predetermined distance to impart apredetermined. cracking movement to the nut. The last mentioned movementtakes place when the oil'set por tion 7 ofthe cam? engages the roller11. The means for actuating the cracki plunger yB preferabl includes atooth Wheel 27 meshing Wit Y rack teeth 28 on' the rear; portion ofsaidcracking plunger, said toothed wheel 27 being xed to the rock shaft29;- mounted in bearings 30, as show in II.v A sprocket Wheel 31. (Figs.1x11 Aand is fixed to the rock shaft 29.,` 32 designates a sprocketchain securedl at one end to the s rocket Wheel 31 `'andhaving oppositeen c l v33 (Fig. X). This spring, p u mg the sprocket chainA 3 2, tendsto turn the f rocket wheel 31, shaft 29. and vtoothed Wheal 2'1 yin a'clockwise direction, therelg tending to move the cracking plungerVtfrvyard the plunger 8. A restoring cam 34, xedto. the constantlyrotating main shaft 4 (Figs. II and X) is vin one of its variableoperative positions, the

pr vently described.

. 4 'e compensating connected 4fc a `tensio, spring adupted to engage aroller 35. at; the upper end of. an arm 36.V This arm is pivotallysupported at 37 and connected by means of a bei. 88 to a crank pin 39 onthe sprocket wheel 31. When the cracking plunger B is .10

parts justdescribed occupy the positions shown 'in Figs.' II and X, theroller 35 being separated from the cam 34, After the nut has vbeencracked, the constantly rotating can), 34y engages the roller 35 andmovement transmittedthrough lthe connecting bar 38 to the sprocket Wheelv31,thus

turning said sprocket Wheel in the direction indica d by the. arrow inFig.V X. The

shaft 29' turns with the sprocket when 31 8 yand the toothed wheel27'on`said shaft turns in the direction indicated by the arrow in thusrestoring the cracking plunger normal or ino ratve position; hereafter,the pocket Weel 14 advances one step to carry he cracked nut away fromthe cracking plungers and to. locate another nut in alinement with saidplungers, as pre- ,VOSly described. The cracking plunger 8 90 tijfhenadvanced by means of the cam 6 to p mi P ostion shown in Fig. I, andvwhile said Vns1-.8 `occupies this position, the crackn linger B isadvanced until it is stopped byengamg the. nut. yThe plunger B may bemove tothe last mentioned position by Ineens of the spring 33 whichtends toturn the shaft29' and toothed Wheel27 as previously pointed out,or if desired the parts may beso timed that suchmovement will loo l beimparted' to Said cracking plunger by the compensating eIements which'will be v c device for insuring ar predetermined cracking movementirrespective of the length of the nut to be cracked, preferably includesa series Ofcompensating elements in the v form of vertically rnovablewedges 40, 4l, 42 and 43 located in front of the inclined face 44 at 110the Afront endy of thecrackin plunger B and adapted topngage said incined face to retaln said cracking plunger in any one of its o ratlvepositions. The compen- S .1 W es Ihre Slldably fitted to a guide 115 memY i45. at the front of the machine and they are free to moveindependently' of each othelg'so that any one vof them may be se- Ieetedautomatically and adjusted to a poplunger Bin engagement with the nutduring the cracking operation. The different.

Y `.compensating Wedges mayoccupy a normal positlon v vherein they areall suppprted qy a Irestolung. har 46,'as shown 125 1n 1g. IX, and theymay occupy the no Vsbownpln F VI herex one oiyilie wgesenga 1 ycryacnupw erto" prevent. thel frm movgmg uuxiiesponse to the Athrust which isdelivered to said cracking plunger duringthe cracking operation. Y

The restoring bar 46 is connected, by means of vertical i'ods 47, to apair of arms `48, said arms being fixed to a rock shaft 49 `mounted inbearings. An operating arin l vided with a discharge opening near its:lower end as shown in Fig. III, and 62 `des- 51, secured to anddependingfrom the rock shaft 49, is connected by means ofr a long bar 52to the arm 53, Shown in Figs. II and VIII. The arm 53 is pivotallysupported at 54 (Fig VIII)l andprovidedfat its upper end with` a roller55 which engages a cain 56, said cam being iixed to the constantlyrotating main shaft 4. A spring 57, 'connected to the arm 53 (Fig. VIII)retains the roller 55 in engagement with the cam 56. It will be apparentthat the restoring bar 46 is raised and lowered inter1nit tently throughthe medium of the constantly rotating cani 56.

When the parts are so timed that the cracking plunger B will be forcedinto. engagement with the nut throughthe medium of the spring actuatedtoothedy wheel 27 and rack 28, the restoring bar 46 is lowered after thecracking plunger B moves toward the nut. It will be noted that thecompensating wedges 40, 41, 42 and 43 are different from each other, thenarrowest wedge being designated 40 andthe widest being designated43.VVli'en the restoring bar 46 moves downwardly from -the position shownin Fig. IX one or more of `the compensating wedges .will drop by gravityto allow one of the wedges to travel tovan operative position wherein itis Stopped by engaging the inclined face 44 on the cracking plunger Bwhile said plun ger is firmly engaged with the nut. The narrowest wedgealways moves downwardly by gravity in response to a downward movement'of lthe restoring bar 46', but one or more of the wider wedges may bestopped by engaging the top face of the cracking plunger B, as shown inFig. `VI, each of the wed es 4l, 42 and 43 being provided with a soulder 60 adapted to engage plunger when the restoring bar l46 occupiesitslowermost position. In other words, the

yrestoring vbar 46 constitutes ya support for all of the wedges` whenl,they occup their normal 0r startingpositions, and a ter the restoringbar inoves downwardly soine of vthe wedges may be supportedby thecracking plunger B. In crackingextral long nuts, the narrowest wedge 40vwill move downwardly until it is stopped byl engaging the inclined face44 on the cracking `liii'iger B, while the remaining wedges will.vv 'eretained in an elevated position, .butin cracking the shortest nutsallof the wedgesiwill move downwardly and the 'wide' wedge i 43 willfinally stop inl an' operative position wherein it engages the inclinedface 44 on the cracking lunger B.

Alter the nut has been cracked the restorwhich ing bar 46 islelevatedto.restore all of the wedges fto their normal or startingposition (FigrIX) and the crackin .plunger B .is then restored by meansofwte spring actuated toothed wheel 27 andi-ack 28. i

61 designates a `main nut ,receptacle proignates an auxiliary receptacleadapted" to vreceive the nuts which pass through said discharge opening.The means for feeding the .nuts one at a time from the auxiliaryreceptacle 62to the nut cracking device includes a rotary nut carrier Earranged to tia'velin the receptacle 62so as to pick up andremove thenuts one at a time vas will be hereinafter' described. The nuts takenfrom the receptacle 62" are dropped `through, afidischarge opening 63(Fig. III) and permitted to moveby gravity through a chute 64 and into aslightly inclined runway 65 below the lower end of said chute. Afollower 66 movable along the top face of the runway 65 (Figs. III andV) is adapted to push each nut upwardly alon the runway and into one ofthe pockets o? the pocket wheel 14, as indicated by arrows in Fig. III.The object in pushing thenuts along the-upwardly inclined' runway' 65before;delivering4 themt'o ythe 'pocket wheel 14 is to adjust each nutto the'ipredetermined position before deliverend of the follower 66 sothat eachnut will be aiitoin'atically adjusted to a position "wherein itlies transversely. ofthe runway before being `discharged therefrom, and

when the nut is finally delivered Vto the vcracking plungers. r l

The means for reciprocating the follower 66' includes avslide 67 mountedin afguideway,- as shown in Figs. III and 'IV' and to l74f providedVwith Va bevel gear 75 meshing -with alarger bevell gear 76 on the mainshaft 4.

" vThe nut carrier E, located in the nutI re- '5 ceptacle62,v rotatescontinuously andA it lis provided with a 4series of pick-up Varms 77 4105 cracking device it will be alined'with the the followeris connectedbyy an arm "llo y 68.l A constantlyfrotat'ing crank wheel69 f is'-connected to the slide '67 a "connecting 'rod 70..' vThe crank 4wheel6,9 is fixed' to. a 'shaft 71'p'r0`vided withv a lgear wheelj'72 (Figs.II and VII) .which ineshesrwith a "pinion" 7 3,: said pinion being lixedVtoa shaft cular Apath"adjacent,to the inclinedwall 79"" of the nutreceptacle` 62." The' arms 774 are adjustably secured to the center hubor spider 80 by means of set screws, as shown in Fig. III, said hub orspider being fixed s'. Tiji @d iii? leal iid

b 1 u iblwil-Pin one of fh ua omatl- ""'ting w ges beii'ig movableindethe ` oscillatory member to move said cracking normal or startingpositions, anv y plunger to its operative position, a series of`releasing saidwedges to allow'themtomove" -r`eta1n`it in lts dierentoperative posltions, reaches an operative 'ositiom v f kSaid wedgesbeing derent from each other, HENR HD; CRAWFORD. .y

www I o [u a yielaam device tending, to @mais Sid a Support for holdingsaid wdgjihjthe'ir f meansfo'r.r

wedgesyadapted to. engage said'plunger to independently until yonejofrthe Wedges l()` y Unities of thil patent may. be obtainedl forvyvvccntsnach, by addressing ihn, commissioner of Patenfl,

Washington, D. 0."

